This invention relates to accessory mounts for firearms, and more particularly to accessory mounts that may be quickly, easily and firmly secured to a firearm, and quickly and easily removed therefrom.
Various types of devices are useful as accessories for being mounted to firearms, examples of such accessories being target illuminators and laser sights. Such accessories are conventionally mounted to an interface apparatus descriptively referred to as an accessory mount, which has been secured to the firearm. Such accessory mounts may include rail interface systems well known in the art pertaining to firearms, and in particular with respect to submachine guns, carbines, rifles and other firearms used for military and police operations.
It is of utmost importance that the accessory mount be firmly secured to the firearm with the mounted accessories directed along the barrel, while at the same time it is desirable that the accessory mount be quickly and easily securable to and removable from the firearm.
Against this background, the present invention provides an accessory mount that may be firmly secured to a firearm along the firearm""s barrel, and which is quickly and easily securable to and removable from the firearm. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an accessory mount for a firearm having a longitudinal barrel and a receiver, the accessory mount comprising the combination of: a longitudinal mount body having a front end and a rear end, the mount body positionable along the barrel with the mount""s rear end supported by the firearm""s receiver; a lever pivotally secured to the mount body about a first transverse axis at the mount body""s front end, the lever pivotally securable to the firearm about a second transverse axis spaced along the lever from the first transverse axis; and a longitudinally adjustable member carried by the mount body for urging the lever to pivot about the first transverse axis. Rearward adjustment of the longitudinally adjustable member, which in the preferred embodiment is a set screw in a threaded aperture longitudinally through the front end of the mount body, urges the lever to pivot about its second transverse axis for rearwardly urging the rear end of the mount body against the receiver when the lever is pivotally secured to the firearm with the rear end supported by the receiver.
The second transverse axis is preferably spaced along the lever above the first transverse axis, and the longitudinally adjustable member preferably contacts the lever below the first transverse axis. In a preferred embodiment, the lever includes a U-shaped portion having two legs spaced apart by a distance greater than the diameter of the firearm""s barrel, and the lever includes a portion depending from the U-shaped portion for being contacted by the longitudinally adjustable member. The rear end of the mount body preferably includes at least one rearwardly extending projection insertable in a groove in the firearm""s receiver about the barrel, for supporting the accessory mount""s rear end.
According to another aspect of the present invention, firearm and accessory mount apparatus is provided comprising in combination: a firearm including a receiver and a barrel longitudinally extending from the receiver; a bracket or lug secured to the firearm above the barrel; a longitudinal mount body having a front end and a rear end, the mount body positioned along the barrel with the rear end supported by the receiver; a lever pivotably secured to the mount body about a first transverse axis at the front end of the mount body, the lever pivotally secured to the lug about a second transverse axis spaced along the lever from the first transverse axis; and a longitudinally adjustable member carried by the mount body for urging the lever to pivot about the second transverse axis to rearwardly urge the mount""s rear end against the receiver. The second transverse axis is preferably spaced along the lever above the first transverse axis, and the longitudinally adjustable member contacts the lever below the first transverse axis. A preferred embodiment of the lever includes a U-shaped portion having two legs pivotally secured to the lug about the second transverse axis with the barrel disposed within the U of the lever, and the lever further includes a portion depending from the U-shaped portion for being contacted by the longitudinally adjustable member.
In a preferred embodiment, the firearm includes a groove in the receiver about the barrel, and the rear end of the mount body is supported within the groove; for example, the rear end of the mount body may include two rearwardly extending tabs inserted in the groove for supporting the rear end. Such tabs may include rearwardly facing respective surfaces and the groove may include a forwardly facing surface, the rearwardly facing surfaces of the tabs being urged against the forwardly facing surface of the groove when the lever is urged by the longitudinally adjustable member.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, an accessory mount is provided which comprises a longitudinal mount body securable to a firearm along the firearm""s barrel, the mount body including a rail having longitudinally spaced-apart ribs and a channel longitudinally extending along the mount body through the ribs.